Building Update

Dear All Souls,

We want to take a moment to share our hopes and dreams for the future of our church and to let you know about a change we have decided to make.

As the Elders have prayerfully reflected on the dreams of our community shared in the Focus Groups this past Advent we have heard overwhelming affirmation of our values of Tradition and Imagination. We value tradition in our liturgy and the sacred space of worship and life we hold together while also inviting imagination through flexibility in outdoor gatherings and connections with service partners. Although this last year has proven to be difficult in many ways, it has also provided space for our church to dream of what longings, hopes, and visions we have for the sacred future of All Souls. Many of you shared a vision of finding a “home” for All Souls—a sustainable space of invitation and intimacy that deepens our connections with our city and community seven days a week.

In light of this shared longing, the Elders and Staff of All Souls have decided not to renew our contract with the Boulder SDA church whose building we currently share one day a week. When we do gather again in person, we will not be meeting at that location. We are beyond grateful for the space that the Boulder SDA building has served our community for the last 13 years. We are also listening to the dynamic needs of our community and staff, and assessing the changes in the physical space of the SDA property. We are seeking a sustainable financial future for All Souls and longing for a deeper church and city partnership. Our vision and values, reaffirmed so poignantly in the recent Focus Group meetings, lead us to the conclusion that our community’s “home” is elsewhere for now. We are holding the grief of saying goodbye to the SDA space with the hope of new ways of living into our vision in a new home.

In the midst of this decision we are continuing conversations with our partner Pine Street Church in downtown Boulder about options for sharing worship and office space. We have partnered with Pine Street Church for years now—renting office rooms and holding special events in the church building—and we have established a healthy partnership with their leadership. Pine Street is interested in deepening connections with All Souls and is willing to offer worship and gathering space with an emphasis on partnership and sustainability. We will be continuing conversations with Pine Street in the next few months as we look toward re-gathering in person.

We want to continue to listen to our community throughout this time of transition. We plan to offer open forums for discussion of how this decision lands on all of our hearts. As always, we also invite anyone to reach out to the All Souls Elders and Staff for one-on-one conversation and space to know and be known.

With love,
The All Souls Elders and Staff